This year’s Kids Count in Nebraska Report featured a commentary debuting our new Index of Race & Opportunity for Nebraska Children. After spending the last 6 weeks introducing the commentary and detailed our methodology, and diving into the 13 indicators by issue area: health, education, economic stability, child welfare and juvenile justice, we…...

Excellent schools are the foundation of a prosperous society where all people can succeed. A public school system that functions effectively for every child has the power to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty and open worlds of opportunity for all kids. Education can mean the difference between employability and…...

With the school year underway again, Nebraskans know how important it is to make sure our children have everything they need to succeed in school, and a big part of this is ensuring that all students have the food they need to fuel their learning. Unfortunately, about one in five households…...

For over 28 years, Voices for Children in Nebraska has been the outspoken, independent voice for Nebraska’s kids. As we move closer to our annual Spotlight Gala on September 19, we’re taking a look inside our organization to show you how we create opportunities for children to reach their full potential. In…...

Last month the Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book highlighting state trends in child well-being and providing state rankings. Typically, Nebraska fares quite well in the report, with rankings near the top every year. This year our state ranked number 10, meaning that children…...

If you follow Voices for Children in Nebraska, you undoubtedly hear a lot about the Kids Count in Nebraska Report, but you may not know much about the national report. Next week will mark the release of the 26th edition of the National KIDS COUNT Data Book. The National Data Book takes data…...

While most of our work during the legislative session focuses on legislative bills, we also keep an eye on legislative resolutions with the potential to impact the lives of Nebraska children. Legislative resolutions are formal, written motions that can be adopted by the Legislature. Resolutions can create committees and…...

Last week, the 2015 Legislative Session officially came to a close. With 18 new Senators, this year brought a lot of changes and we are pleased to say that it also resulted in progress for Nebraska kids and families. This year, Voices for Children testified on 47 different bills and…...

We know that hunger can be a barrier to learning, and we have previously mentioned on the blog that schools that have a significant portion of low-income students now have the option of becoming hunger-free zones by serving free meals to all enrolled kids. In the first year that…...

Click here to contact your state senator about the youth minimum wage. We believe that in Nebraska, hard work should pay. Our state was fortunate to survive the most recent recession better than many other states across the country. Our unemployment level in 2014 was the lowest it has been…...